A contract with the gorgeous, newly-remodeled Hotel Shattuck Plaza has finally been signed! YIPPEEE!
http://www.hotelshattuckplaza.com This is where we will have the Late Late Night events on Thursday and Friday. Yes, there is an outdoor smoking area! We stroll leisurely downhill from our Finals Venue to the Hotel, where we will host our After Party in their ballroom (and attached bar) on Oct 10th.
This hotel is one block from all forms of public transit, right in the middle of dozens of shops, restaurants, and services, as well walking distance from our venues. Oh yeah, free wifi throughout. It’s swanky! There are NO hotels nearer to the venues than Hotel Shattuck, not even close.
This year we will not have the typical Host Hotel arrangement. PSI is not doing a rooming list for this event, as we have for the last few. So, poets will need to make their own pairings if they wish to share a room. The good news is that you’re not required to stay here. The bad news is that you should behave yourself, because we have very little leverage with the management and there will be plenty other ‘regular’ customers. This hotel is usually full.
Each poet is to make his/her own reservation with his/her own credit card, and will pay the bill at check out as one might usually On that note, the hotel has only 25 two bed hotel rooms. These are likely to go quickly.
The other rooms have king or full size beds.
The suites, not included in these prices, have 2 or 3 king size beds.
For a discount, poets should identify themselves as being with the Individual World Poetry Slam (I wouldn't use only the letters IWPS) and they will qualify for the rate of $130 for a basic room. Plus taxes, and normal fees that one would encounter at a hotel.
There will be an online link that people can use to register for this price as well, and we’ll post that as soon as we get it.
There are only a handful of other hotels nearby. If you don’t mind walking a bit uphill (there’s no parking), you can stay at Hotel Durant for roughly the same price. You can try getting cheaper rooms at motels across town, in Emeryville, or in downtown Oakland. The least expensive rooms in downtown Berkeley are at the YMCA, which has decent private rooms with no gender limitations or curfews. Get them quick, they don’t have many rooms to offer!
Be wary of super cheap hotels in Oakland, Emeryville, or South Berkeley, as some of them can be super sketchy. There are some near the 80 freeway that are fine. Do your research. Or just pay a couple extra bucks, stay at the Hotel Shattuck Plaza, relax and enjoy. It’s really nice, easy, and centrally located.
